Search form

Remembering Packy: A statement from Metro Council President Tom Hughes

Remembering Packy: A statement from Metro Council President Tom Hughes

Feb. 9, 2017 10:15 a.m.

Packy passed away on Feb. 9, 2017, at the age of 54.

As Helen Keller said, “What we have once enjoyed we can never lose; All that we love deeply becomes a part of us.”

We mourn the loss of Packy and celebrate all he taught us and all his contributions that will continue beyond his death.

Our children and grandchildren are wiser by far about Asian elephants than our parents and grandparents were thanks to Packy.

Mere words cannot capture Packy’s contributions to the Oregon Zoo community, to greater Portland, and to people across the globe who are striving to protect and restore elephants in their natural habitats.

On behalf of the entire Metro Council I express our collective sorrow, grief and loss. I also express our commitment to celebrate Packy’s significant contributions to elephant conservation and to our community.

On this day, despite any differences we may have, let us remember our shared commitment to ensuring the survival of elephants. Let us remember with respect and dignity all that Packy did for us and for elephants around the world.

On behalf of the Metro Council, I express our condolences to all who were touched by Packy during his 54 years at the Oregon Zoo.

Whether your roots in the region run generations deep or you moved to Oregon last week, you have your own reasons for loving this place – and Metro wants to keep it that way. Help shape the future of the greater Portland region and discover tools, services and places that make life better today.